GREAT TEMPERANCE MEETING AT BIRMINGHAM.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3239, 30 June 1871, Page 3

GREAT TEMPERANCE MEETING AT BIRMINGHAM.

The following able speech was delivered by Sir Wilfrid Lawson afe a monster meeting held in Birmingham : — Sir Wilfrid Lawson rose to support the motion, and was received with great enthusiasm. He said he had seen himself described in one of the Birmingham newspapers as the leader for the Alliance in the House of Commons. He could only say that he found it much pleasnnter to lead for the Alliance in Birmingham Town Hall than he did in the House of Commons, because here he found his supporters much more minacrous, and certainly ten times more enthusiastic. (Laughter.) But wise men, statesmen, and great politicians found it absolutely impossible to keep the principles of the Alliance from being discussed in the House of Commons, and last night they had a very interesting- discussion upon the liquor, traffic, and how to reform it. Last night a promise was fulfilled which was made 15 years ago. For 15 years every Government had declared whenever they wanted to get rid of a troublesome man like him — (laughter) — or others who proposed reforms in the licensing system, that they had in tap what they called " a large and comprehensive measure," and that no profane hands of any private member were to presume to touch the sacred liquor traffic. (Laughter.) The House of Commons could busy itself with protecting. then; against imaginary foes, whose names he had never yet been able to learn, but who were expected to come over and cut their throats for some reason not- explained ; but all this time there had been a foe in their midst, levying requisitions upon every household in this country, and those who had been glain by his influence might be reckoned by thousands and tens of thousands. He then proceeded to discuss some of the provisions of Mr Bruce's bill. They must excuse him if he did not make himself so clear as he could wish. It was difficult on any occasion to explain to a large audience what one die! understand ; but it was still more difficult to do so in the case of what one did not understand. (Laughter). Sir Wilfrid then proceeded to mention some of theprelimary provisions of the bill. The licenses themselves* are to be put up to auction, and the men who gave the highest bids were to huve them. And one rich man might have all, if he liked — (laughter) — and put in a lot of managers, who were to be sanctioned by the magistrate before they were put into these houses, Now, this really did seem most extraordinary when they came to think upon it. They culled this a Christian country. Fancy what an illustration of a Christian country was this — putting up such a trade by auction. So many families to be beggared, so many people to be slain, so many hearts to be broken. Who'll bid the highest shall have the privilege. (Cries of " Shame"). It was to him most horrible when he thought of it. He thought they might learn a lesson from some of those whom they sometimes despised as heathens. Not so long ago, when they tried to force a trade almost as bad as the liquor trade upan another country — China — when they sent great armies and fleets to enforce that wicked regulation, the Emperor of that country, although a heathen, resisted, and said—" Nothing shall ever induce me to rttise a revenue from the vice and the misery of my subjects." (Loud applause.) He hoped the day would come when they might, perhaps, have a Prime Minister or a Homo Secretary as attached to morality as was that heathen emperor. (Cheers.) But now ho came to what w r as, in his opinion, the greatest blot upon the whole bill. The present holders of licences, which were to be taken away from them if they offended (because he must tell them that severer penalties and stricter rules were to be applied to them), were to be guaranteed the holding of those licences for ton years, Now there had aever been a .license for intoxicating drinks, in the memory of man, in this country, for more than twelve months ; .and this was introducing a new licence into their legislation, which appeared to him to be most mischievous, and which must bo strongly resisted. (Cries of ''Hear, hear.") In his opinion, although they ought to oppose all that was bad in the bill, they ought to cheerfully support all the good points in it, which he had pointed out to them. (Hear, hear.) The bad part of the bill was the forcing of these places upon them. He would describe them in Mr Bruce's own words, which he heard him utter on the pro-, vious night. Mr Bruce said that every public-house tended to inciease the rates, and, he thought (the gentleman added), "to promote disorder." Mr

Bruce described public-houses as places in which the police ought not to be trusted, because it was known they might be subject to temptation. If these places were sucli temptations to the police that they* could not resist them, did Mr Bruce insist upon the magistrates being allowed to thrust them down wherever they pleased among their fellow countrymen ? (Cheers.) What the friends of the Alliance movement wanted was to have the plan tried which the Association advocated. Let him read to them the words of a leading statesman, and he would, mention his name when he had done so ; for the words explained very clearly the principle of the Permissive Bill. This* speech was delivered in the House of Commons not very long ago. The statesman to whom he referred said that the principle of an appeal to the ratepayers on matters affecting their interests was one of which great use could be made. Over and above the fact that the ratepayers were the persons chiefly interested, it was their comfort and convenience, and not that of other people, which should be consulted, and they were the -persons who suffered the crime and the misery produced by the multiplication of these houses and their disorderly conduct. Over and above that consideration there was another, and a most important one, namely, the advantage of enlisting the minds, the hearts, and the feelings of the people in the thorough consideration of the sub jeot. Let them gi'-e the ratepayers a voice in the matter. Let them give them the power in some way of deciding how far these houses should exist among them, and they would ac once create a strong public opinion, and that sort of feeling which, among the upper classes of society, had long made drunkenness disgraceful, and which was rapidly making it disgraceful among the working classes them selves. Sir Wilfrid went on to ask the audience if they thought that was a speech made by an enthusiastic fanatic at an Alliance meeting; and said No;---it was made last night by Mr Bruce in the House of Commons. That was the man who, after he had made that speech, proposed to 'thrust these houses upon the people against the will of the ratepayers. (Cries of " Shame.") He. thought when Mr Bruce talked about the rapid progress which temperance had made amongst the upper classes, it would have been as well if it had made some progress in trying to remov.e the temptations he was striving to put among the lower classes. The friends of the Alliance said the Permissive Bill principle had never failed where it bad been tried. Sir Wilfrid then read a speech by a member of Parliament, who said that if the Permissive Bill were applied to a district the majority of the inhabitants would emigrate, and leave the churches, -chapels," and schools to be otherwise provided for. Cer tainly such a statement was rather curious. He (Sir Wilfrid) dared say that it was news to their chairman that the public-house was the buttress of the church and chapel. There was a country across the Atlantic in a large portion, of which they had prohibition strongly and effectively enforced ; and he (Sir Wilfrid) could not understand why the people there did not emigrate and come over here to this happy land, so full of public-houses and beershops. — (A Voice, " Name.") He would not give the gentleman's name, because he was a member of Parliament, and he did not wish to turn him into ridicule. Mr Gould, a towusman of their own — (cheers) — said in a meeting (he believed at that hail) — that crime was so lessened in the State of Maine that only in the fewest towns was it necessary to maintain a police force ; and pauperism was nearly absolutely confined to -the old and the feeble. A system existed which banished the sickeuing scenes and the revolting crimes which were the result of driuk ; which emptied poorhouses, and gave s.ecurity to life and property, without the omnipresence of police officers. This was not only the case across the Atlantic, because they knew that his (Sir Wilfrid's) friend, the Venerable Archdeacon Sandford, produced instances in commiltee of the prosperous and happy condition whsre drinkshops were absent. Mr Spurgeon, in the " Sword and Trowel," described a town in Lapland as a moral one, having •neither magistrates, policemen, nor soldiers; and felonies were unknown. Mr Spurgeon went on to say that this arose from the absence of drinkingshops, and that this was a very clear indication of the duty oj our licensing magistrates. The fewer there were of these licensed slaughter-houses, called drinking palaces, the better. He (Sir Wilfrid) did not think that such an instance pointed out any duty to magistrates, but it pointed out the duty of getting rid of magistrates altogether. (Hear, hear.) It was the absence of licensing which made the place happy. In conclusion, Sir Wilfrid said he had endeavored to show them where the Government bill failed, and where the Alliance measure was greatly superior, and one more likely to conduce to the lasting welfare of the country. He rejoiced to see that enormous meeting, and to see them so hearty and enthusiastic in the cause, because he was convinced that they believed what \vas the very basis of the Alliance movement, viz., the great truth that what was morally wrong could never be politically right. (Hear.) That was the motto which the Mends of the Alliance had written upon their standard, and to that .motto they would adhere, convinced that those who steadfastly followed truth would in the end gftin, however great may bo the disasters and repulses which they had at first to encounter. They iatended to adhere to the programme which they had already announced;, and. if they would stand true to them, never flinching or abandoning their principles, but go on straightforward, he felt as convinced as that he was now. addressing them that sooner or later they would gain a complete and a glorious triumph. (Loud cheers.)